This is a modelling task, involving drawing and counting, to enable pupils to visualise the effects of different numbers of continents on global biodiversity. The activity enables pupils to account for the findings in terms of the effects of differing numbers of continents and areas of shallow sea on evolution and extinction.
Other activities related to the evolution of life can be found on our website.

Monday, 15 January 2018

In this activity pupils make their own small quantity of Plaster of Paris and then use it to make a cast. This helps them to understand the large-scale industrial process of making plaster.
Use the search engine or index on our website to find many more activities to do with Earth's materials and resources.

Monday, 8 January 2018

Recent evidence has shown that the traditional view of mantle convection being the main driving force in lithospheric plate movement is probably incorrect. If it were the main driving force, then plates with the largest surface area would move fastest because they would have the largest area on which the mantle convection forces would act – this is not the case. However, those plates that have the longest subducting margins, with geophysical evidence of the deepest subduction slabs, do seem to be moving fastest – which is why this is now considered to be the main driving force. A fourth force that might be important is subduction suction where the old, cold oceanic plate subduction trench migrates towards the oceanic ridge pulling the over- riding plate behind it. Some geophysicists argue that this is an important driver of plate movement.
Many more activities about plate tectonics can be found on our website.

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About Earth Learning Idea

ELI is publishing FREE Earth-related teaching ideas, designed to be practical resources for teachers and teacher-trainers all over the world.We publish new Earth Learning Ideas every two weeks. Some of these activities require the use of some basic school laboratory equipment and some include abstract ideas. We label these activities ELI+. Each activity is designed to create pupil participation for maximum learning.All activities are free to download and most require minimal cost and equipment. Best of all, they are fun!